Process of producing anhydrous metallic chloride



Patented May 15 mran "r B T {F- nna'r s. KIRKPATRICK, or sex PABLO, AND FRANK s. MORGAKf-QFLBERKEIQEY, "c -11:"

rnocnss 'or :nonucme ANHYDBOUS manmcenrioarim No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BERT S. KIRKPATRICK and FRANK S. Moneam'both citizens of the United States, residin at San Pablo, Contra Costa County, Cali ornia, and Berkeley,

Alameda County, California, respectively, have invented a new and useful Process of Producing Anhydrous Metallic Chloride, of which the followin is a specification.

,10 Our invention re ates to themanufacture temperatures which are required to melt the metals to form their chlorides, or to form their chlorides from their compounds, and it' has been-found very difiicult to produce apparatus which would withstand chlorine gas.

or anhydrous hydrochloric acid at the high 26 tem eratures' required.

. e have. discovered that by forming a mixture or alloy of the metal whose chloride is desired and a metal whose melting point is lower, but whosechloride-is formed at a 80 higher temperature than that of the first "metal, the melting point of the combined metals or alloy is reduced below the melting point of either of such metals, and'that when chlorine gas or anhydrous hydrochloric acid is introduced into the molten metal or alloy the anhydrous chloride of the metal havin the lower chloride forming point is produced without having any substantial eflfect Whatever upon the other metal, and that when the 4 anhydrous chloride of such first mentioned metal has been entirely formed thesecond metal will be left substantiall except for slight oxidation. e have also found that the anhydrous metallic chloride thus formed will be substantially free from the second metal.

By the use of a mixture or alloy of metals as stated the melting temperature of the mixture or alloy is much reduced,'and it is necessary only to provide suflicient artificial heat to ring'the mixed metals or alloy to the melting tem erature; When such mixed metals or alloy ave been raised to the melting temperature chlorine or anyhydrou's hyunchanged cIsco, cnirroamn, A oonroaa'rrou or cnnronura,

drochloric acid is introduced toitheinolten" alloy and, as the reaction is "exothermic; the

roams, ASSIGNOBS 'TOSTANDARD OIL COMPANY or cALrro'aNIa, or shaman- Application filed September 18, 1920 SerialfNo. 411,13'}; 1

artificial heat may then' be discontinued and" theheat of the reaction will be suflicientito j continue the production 1 of the metallic:

chloride of the given metal and may becon-f.

trolled bythe flow of chlorine or hydro-r; chloric acid. onto or through the molten:

metal.

For example: Assume that arr-R. hydrous aluminum chloride is desired'to be produced. Equalquantities of aluminum and zinc maybe placed in alsuit able closed retort and'ifused, and the alloy thus pro-:

melted in a closed retort and aluminum then added and when thealuminumhas been dis-4:

duced will have a lower melting point than 5 that of either of themetals, or zinc maybe a .70

solved the temperature of' the mixture re-v duced to approximately;-the,melting point of the mixture or allo thus-formed. When:

the mixture or alloy is at substantiall the melting point of the alloy if the chlorine is introduced onto or. preferably through" the molten metal, aluminum chloride is formed.

The external or artificial heatmay be dis- 1 ,80 by the heat of the reaction; When; all-v the aluminum has been converted iiintoi continued and the .operationx continued aluminum' chloride: the zsupplyiof chlorinegi I may be shut ofl. The aluminum chloride is L readily condensed or' collected in anyordiai nary receiver. The zinc will remain 'inathe retort unaffected and can be reused asan? alloy with further aluminum for the further production of aluminum chloride.

By thus mixing in the retort with the metal whose chloride is to be produced an alloying metal whosechloride forming or vaporizin temperature is higher than the chloride forming or vaporizing temperature of the "first metal, and Whose melting point is lower than the melt.-

ing point thereof to produce a mixture a or alloy of low melting point it has been found that the chloride of the high melting point metal can be formed at lower temperature than the chloride of the lower melting point metal, and we are enabled to use a re?- tort of the usual or ordinary construction such as sand :or clay crucibles, blacklead, (graphite,) porcelain, silica wares, etc., or an iron retort may be usedin forming most chlorides,-that is low temperature forming chlorides, by the use of a cooling jacket or other suitable means of cooling the retort to prevent overheating of the walls of the retort, so that the chloride produced will not become contaminated with iron.

The process is not necessarily limited to the use of a mixture of two metals as for instance, when it is desired to produce aluminum chloride if both zinc and cadmium are used it will be found that where 25% cadmium is used and 37.5% each of aluminum and zinc are used the melting point of ,the alloy will be below that of cadmium, and

aluminum chloride will form at about 200 C. The aluminum chloride produced b our process will contain no zinc or ca mium chloride and an analysis of the alloy remaining in the retort will show that the cadmium and zinc remaining therein are not changed, other than by small oxidization.

Proportions of the metal whose chloride is to be produced and ofthe alloying metal or. metals will vary in accordance with'such metals and with the 'melting point to be produce d.

Herein we'do not use the termalloy as signifying a composition of two or more metals in definite chemical relation but as indicating. an admixture of one or more metals to another for the purpose of reducing the melting point of the mixture or alloy thus formed.

We claim: 1. The process of producing metallic chloride which consists in forming an alloy between the metal whose chloride is to be formed and a second metal having a chloride formingor vaporizing temperature higher than that of the first metal, which alloy has a melting temperature between the chloride forming and vaporizing temperature of the first metal andsu'ch other metal and below the melting point of said first metal, bringing the alloy to 'a molten state, contacting with chlorine, and collecting the resultant metallic chloride.

2. The process of producing aluminum chloride which consists informing an aluminum alloy with asecond metal having achloride forming or vaporizing temperature higher than that of the aluminum chloride,

which alloy has a melting temperature be-' chloride forming or vaporizing temperature than that of the first metal, which alloy has a melting temperature above the 'chloride forming or vaporizing point of said first metal and below the melting temperature thereof, bringing. said alloy to a molten state, contacting with chlorine, an c ollecting the resultant metallic chloride.

4. The process of producing aluminum chloride which consists in forming an aluminum alloy-with another metal having a higher chloride forming or vaporizing temperature than aluminum, which alloy has a melting point below that of aluminum and above its chloride forming or vaporizing temperature, bringing said alloy to a molten state, contacting with chlorine, and collecting the resultant metallic chloride.

Signed at Richmond, California this 11th day of September 1920.

BERT s. KIRKPATRICK. FRANK S. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

I FREDERICK S. LYON, L. BELLE WEAVER. 

